Playbooks and Profits: Basketballtag:blog.oregonlive.com,2014:/playbooksandprofits/9912011-03-08T21:13:20ZSports apparel and equipment news from The Oregonian's Allan BrettmanMovable Type Enterprise 4.29-advanceESPN blog aimed at viewers might address the Erin Andrews flap; Adidas scores with D. Rosetag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.58834362011-03-08T21:13:20Z2011-03-08T21:36:50ZESPN already announced partnership with Poynter Institue, though talks began before the Erin Andrews Reebok contract deal surfacedAllan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
ESPN already announced partnership with Poynter Institue, though talks began before the Erin Andrews Reebok contract deal surfaced
The Oregonian's Rachel Bachman unearths story about Bill Bowerman/Nike waffle artifact, finds another storytag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.58368292011-03-01T20:22:28Z2011-03-02T14:15:44ZReporter Rachel Bachman also discovers another story about a struggling track team in eastern OregonAllan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
Reporter Rachel Bachman also discovers another story about a struggling track team in eastern Oregon
ESPN 'GameDay' personalities have endorsement deals with Nike, New York Times reportstag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.57470272011-02-15T19:46:43Z2011-02-15T21:26:00ZStory shows that ESPN reporter Erin Andrews' deal with Reebok is just the latest in a long line at the sports broadcasting companyAllan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
Story shows that ESPN reporter Erin Andrews' deal with Reebok is just the latest in a long line at the sports broadcasting company
Portland Trail Blazers begin the task of signing up season ticket renewals for 2011-12 NBA seasontag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.56686892011-02-03T04:20:24Z2011-02-03T04:26:33ZRip City United, a customer relations program, plays a central role in retaining the basketball team's fan base.Allan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
Rip City United, a customer relations program, plays a central role in retaining the basketball team's fan base.
Adidas America designers in North Portland introduce tight-fitting jersey for NBA All-Star Game tag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.56362332011-01-29T03:28:00Z2011-01-29T15:12:46ZThe compression jersey will make players lighter because it eliminates one garment; but will they choose that over a looser-fitting jersey?Allan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
The compression jersey will make players lighter because it eliminates one garment; but will they choose that over a looser-fitting jersey?
Nike well-positioned to take advantage of emerging markets, Credit Suisse report saystag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.55961932011-01-21T21:57:11Z2011-01-26T21:57:19Z'We believe that incomes in the emerging market countries are hitting an inflection point,' report saysAllan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
'We believe that incomes in the emerging market countries are hitting an inflection point,' report says
Welcome (back) to the Playbook and Profits blogtag:blog.oregonlive.com,2011:/playbooksandprofits//991.55844032011-01-19T23:48:19Z2011-01-20T18:20:36ZThe home for news and views on sports equipment and marketing in Oregon returns after a 2-year hiatusAllan Brettman | abrettman@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/aebrettman/index.html
The home for news and views on sports equipment and marketing in Oregon returns after a 2-year hiatus
Bela, Favre, Kidd, Rudy and those slanted Spanish eyestag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.12954332008-08-15T17:34:41Z2008-08-16T05:19:55ZP&P Blog is more spent than Michael Phelps after a 200m butterfly. So it's dumping links about Brett Favre, Bela Karolyi, Alicia Sacramone, Jason Kidd and those insensitive brutes that are Andrea Joyce and Spanish basketball & tennis players.... The...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
P&P Blog is more spent than Michael Phelps after a 200m butterfly. So it's dumping links about Brett Favre, Bela Karolyi, Alicia Sacramone, Jason Kidd and those insensitive brutes that are Andrea Joyce and Spanish basketball & tennis players.... The...
Nike drops three Hyperdunk adstag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.12196022008-07-25T21:00:25Z2008-07-26T17:31:36ZUPDATED: Nike said today it will drop three print ads from its Hyperdunk basketball shoe campaign that critics said played off some viewers' homophobia. TrueHoops points out why the "Punks Jump Up" ad evokes a 1992 rap song with the...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
UPDATED: Nike said today it will drop three print ads from its Hyperdunk basketball shoe campaign that critics said played off some viewers' homophobia. TrueHoops points out why the "Punks Jump Up" ad evokes a 1992 rap song with the...
Road to Redemption through Niketag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.11405592008-07-02T20:25:34Z2008-07-03T03:19:15Z Tonight, ESPN2 airs the first installment of "Road to Redemption presented by Nike." (Trailer) It's about the men's USA Olympic Basketball team. More than Olympic gold hangs in the balance. Nike hopes its U.S. growth prospects improve, too, in...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
Tonight, ESPN2 airs the first installment of "Road to Redemption presented by Nike." (Trailer) It's about the men's USA Olympic Basketball team. More than Olympic gold hangs in the balance. Nike hopes its U.S. growth prospects improve, too, in...
NBA shoe deals, soccer ads, teen brandstag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.11120412008-06-24T00:37:15Z2008-06-24T01:14:51ZP&P Blog took a long weekend, and it shows. It has little to blog for. Mark Duncan/Associated Press Yet, if one blogs, one likely dumps link. Monday offered plenty of fodder. CNBC's Darren Rovell offers keen insights into why no...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
P&P Blog took a long weekend, and it shows. It has little to blog for. Mark Duncan/Associated Press Yet, if one blogs, one likely dumps link. Monday offered plenty of fodder. CNBC's Darren Rovell offers keen insights into why no...
Nike's "Ballers Network" on Facebooktag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.11007272008-06-19T22:03:06Z2008-06-20T15:10:35Z UPDATED 6/20: Nike is testing a new Facebook application that further expands its interactive marketing drive, modeled best by its online Nike+ running/iPod site. It's called "Ballers Network." As reported today by AdWeek and Sports Business Daily, the program...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
UPDATED 6/20: Nike is testing a new Facebook application that further expands its interactive marketing drive, modeled best by its online Nike+ running/iPod site. It's called "Ballers Network." As reported today by AdWeek and Sports Business Daily, the program...
adidas hoping Celtics' run boosts KG shoe salestag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.10476992008-06-04T18:22:45Z2008-06-05T14:57:33ZIn time for tonight's NBA finals, adidas America Inc. today announced a limited-edition release of its upcoming Kevin Garnett shoe. Available tomorrow, the company will make eight pairs per series game of the special Team Signature Commander, designed by Robbie...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
In time for tonight's NBA finals, adidas America Inc. today announced a limited-edition release of its upcoming Kevin Garnett shoe. Available tomorrow, the company will make eight pairs per series game of the special Team Signature Commander, designed by Robbie...
Lil' Romeo?!? Where for art thou, USC?tag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.7949362008-03-12T06:18:38Z2008-03-13T08:08:25ZNewscom via The Wall Street JournalRomeo MillerFor the "I'm not convinced college sports is big business" crowd: The Wall Street Journal's Jon Weinbach wrote a fascinating story Friday about USC's full basketball scholarship offer to 5-foot-10 Romeo Miller of Beverly...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
Newscom via The Wall Street JournalRomeo MillerFor the "I'm not convinced college sports is big business" crowd: The Wall Street Journal's Jon Weinbach wrote a fascinating story Friday about USC's full basketball scholarship offer to 5-foot-10 Romeo Miller of Beverly...
March Madness promo: Get a vasectomy.tag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.7863432008-03-08T17:10:51Z2008-03-09T00:49:42ZThe beginning of this story says it all: Springfield (Ore.) urologists are running a college basketball-themed vasectomy promotion, urging men to "lower your seed for the tournament." As of Thursday, 15 of 24 slots at the Oregon Urology Institute were...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
The beginning of this story says it all: Springfield (Ore.) urologists are running a college basketball-themed vasectomy promotion, urging men to "lower your seed for the tournament." As of Thursday, 15 of 24 slots at the Oregon Urology Institute were...
Blazers fans: Do you miss Zach Randolph?tag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.7256572008-02-22T16:08:28Z2008-02-23T06:08:11ZP&P Blog admits it once stood and cheered Zach Randolph. Back in the days Rasheed Wallace scotched any double teams and made Z-bo look good. Now P&P Blog wonders why. How much better is the Blazers brand without this? _uacct...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
P&P Blog admits it once stood and cheered Zach Randolph. Back in the days Rasheed Wallace scotched any double teams and made Z-bo look good. Now P&P Blog wonders why. How much better is the Blazers brand without this? _uacct...
Kobe tops the listtag:blog.oregonlive.com,2007:/playbooksandprofits//991.2179712007-01-10T20:10:57Z2008-01-25T07:09:54ZLove him or hate him -- and it seems that those are the only two possibilities when it comes to Kobe Bryant -- but it seems that more people these days are in the love category for the Los Angeles Lak...Helen Jung | hjung@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/hjung/index.html
Love him or hate him -- and it seems that those are the only two possibilities when it comes to Kobe Bryant -- but it seems that more people these days are in the love category for the Los Angeles Lak...
Oregon's basketball arena de-constructedtag:blog.oregonlive.com,2008:/playbooksandprofits//991.6194742008-01-14T23:12:26Z2008-01-14T23:16:34ZSteve DuinP&P Blog thinks Ducks sports fans won't be too happy with Steve Duin's typically aggressive but well-argued Sunday column....Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
Steve DuinP&P Blog thinks Ducks sports fans won't be too happy with Steve Duin's typically aggressive but well-argued Sunday column....
Which coach has most to fear from NCAA cussing crackdown?tag:blog.oregonlive.com,2007:/playbooksandprofits//991.4452692007-10-22T17:19:16Z2007-10-24T05:43:06ZNot sure there's much business gain from this, but it's interesting nonetheless. The Indianapolis Star reports that the NCAA has told its refs to get serious of stopping the swearing on the sidelines of collegiate basketball courts. Writes Star reporter...Brent Hunsberger | itsonlymoneyblog@gmail.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/bhunsber/index.html
Not sure there's much business gain from this, but it's interesting nonetheless. The Indianapolis Star reports that the NCAA has told its refs to get serious of stopping the swearing on the sidelines of collegiate basketball courts. Writes Star reporter...
Love and sneaker warstag:blog.oregonlive.com,2006:/playbooksandprofits//991.2180622006-07-26T19:18:25Z2007-06-29T21:00:48ZKevin Love, the Lake Oswego high school senior and one of the most sought-after basketball players by colleges around the country, officially announced that he plans to attend UCLA. Love is the same player whom Nike kicked off its summer-league team after the teenager went to play at a tournament sponsored by rival Reebok. (There's no live link but to read Rachel Bachman's story from last year about it, click on READ MORE below). Love had been debating between UCLA and University of North Carolina, both schools with excellent basketball programs. But one difference is the sponsor of each team. UCLA has a sponsorship contract with Adidas, which provides UCLA teams and coaches with free shoes and apparel featuring the three-stripes logo. North Carolina has its sponsorship contract with Nike, which provides its teams with sneakers and apparel bearing the swoosh.So even though Love never mentioned Adidas among his reasons for UCLA, it's got to feel like a bit of payback, albeit indirectly, that you won't catch one of the top new college players wearing Nikes. Although Adidas clearly gets a boost from the exposure, the company does not give any kind of additional compensation or benefits to UCLA for signing hot recruits, said Marc Dellins, sports information director for UCLA. Adidas does build in such incentives for other achievements, such as winning the national title.And on the same topic of sneaker companies and their competition for teenage talent, The Boston Globe has run a fascinating three-part series on the sneaker companies and their pursuit of young talent. (via TrueHoop, SportsLawBlog)Love's dismissal resonatesBy Rachel BachmanThe OregonianTuesday,July 19, 2005For years, athletic-shoe companies have sponsored strong summer-league basketball teams, buttering up the nation's top high school players. When the best of them went pro, the sponsoring companies hoped their generosity would pay off with the players signing endorsement contracts.But 10 days ago, Nike rattled that dynamic and set basketball circles buzzing. By dismissing a local 16-year-old from one of its sponsored teams, the Beaverton-based giant signaled that crossing a shoe company could limit a player's options in the increasingly cutthroat world of summer basketball.That message could have profound implications for star and aspiring star players alike. High school games help, but a player's performance in a big summer tournament or camp can win or lose a college scholarship.The word came down July 9, when a Nike executive called the father of Kevin Love, Oregon's Class 4A player of the year last season and one of the nation's top-rated players. The man told Stan Love that because his son had attended Reebok's ABCD Camp, he would not be welcome at Nike tournaments or back on the Nike-sponsored Portland Legends team, Stan Love said.Nike spokesperson Rodney Knox declined to comment, saying only: "We certainly think highly of Kevin as a player and as a person. We certainly wish him the best."Nike's action, first reported by The Oregonian, appears to be the first time a shoe company formally has penalized a high school player for disloyalty, a development observers call a distressing escalation of basketball's sneaker wars."I think it's a pretty unprecedented move," said Bob Gibbons, one of the nation's best-known basketball talent evaluators. "It disturbed me that they would be that vindictive."Camps as score cardsThe phenomenon of high school basketball camps as talent showcases started in 1984 with the ABCD Camp, a Nike-sponsored event that moved to Adidas, then Reebok. Now, all three companies hold invitation-only camps the same week in July -- their grandstands stuffed with the nation's top college coaches and NBA scouts.In a summer basketball schedule jampacked with tournaments, the three camps are clear score cards of where shoe companies stand with top players.Few people remember which summer-league or high school team an NBA athlete played for, said Reggie Guyton, director of the Reebok-sponsored Portland Panthers summer-league team. But Guyton easily recalled that NBA players Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and Sebastian Telfair attended ABCD Camp -- even though it used to be sponsored by Adidas."That kind of lets you know how the apparel companies attach an NBA player to their camps and not to their travel teams," Guyton said.Why Kevin Love?Usually a player will attend the camp of the shoe company that sponsors his high school or summer-league team. Love's high school team, Lake Oswego, also is sponsored by Nike.But it is not unheard of for players to cross company lines.Canaan Chatman, director of the Adidas-backed Inner City Players team in Portland, said two of his former players -- Chris Rodgers and Brandon Lincoln -- chose to attend Nike's camp four years ago because they had not been there before."My bosses were a little bit perturbed with the situation, with me sending them to Nike camp versus Adidas," Chatman said. "But the reality was I just communicated why these kids went there: This was something that they wanted to do."Chris Rivers, Reebok's national grass-roots basketball manager, said he knew of a few players on Reebok-sponsored teams who went to Nike's camp."But I called those kids the day after, wished them well," Rivers said.Seth Tarver, one of Love's summer teammates, also attended Reebok's camp this month but was not kicked off the Legends team. Tarver, who plays high school ball for Beaverton's Jesuit High, said he thought he kept his spot because he had accepted Reebok's invitation before he was invited to Nike's camp -- and because he recently left a Reebok-sponsored team to join the Legends.So, why did Nike apparently target Love? The company isn't saying, and Legends coach Troy Berry did not return calls seeking comment Monday.Some people suggested Love was singled out because he lives in Lake Oswego, Nike's back yard. Others said his situation was being used as a warning to other top players not to stray from their sponsors."The message is that 'We demand loyalty to Nike,' " Gibbons said.What's next?Gibbons said Love's situation is not the first time Nike has twisted the arms of players or coaches it sponsors.Gibbons' Memorial Day weekend tournament has drawn teams year after year, lured by the chance to play on the campuses of North Carolina State, North Carolina and Duke.But a few years ago, coaches of Nike-sponsored summer teams told Gibbons they were warned by Nike officials to play in Nike's Memorial Day weekend tournament or risk losing their funding."They called me and said, 'Bob, we love your tournament and we want to come, but hey, Nike's giving us $30,000 and we can't afford to buck the system,' " Gibbons said.Reebok's Rivers disagrees with that strategy.A shoe company isn't a parent or guardian, he said, and therefore has no right to dictate which events a player must attend."Kevin Love does not work for Nike, nor does his family," Rivers said "He does not work for Reebok. He's a high school kid that plays on a team that happens to be sponsored by Nike."Although Nike dominates in athletic shoe sales, its signature summer basketball camp no longer has a monopoly on prep talent. Love chose Reebok's camp because several of the nation's best players -- including top-rated center Greg Oden from Indianapolis -- were there, Love's father said.Yet Nike apparently banished Love, possibly setting a precedent.Chatman, director of Portland's Adidas team, wondered: If a shoe company can mandate which camp a player goes to, will it also pressure him to play for a college team it sponsors?"I guess that's my question," Chatman said. "Where does it stop?"Helen Jung | hjung@oregonian.comhttp://connect.oregonlive.com/user/hjung/index.html
plans to attend UCLA.

Love is the same player whom Nike kicked off its summer-league team after the teenager went to play at a tournament sponsored by rival Reebok. (There's no live link but to read Rachel Bachman's story from last year about it, click on READ MORE below).

Love had been debating between UCLA and University of North Carolina, both schools with excellent basketball programs. But one difference is the sponsor of each team.

UCLA has a sponsorship contract with Adidas, which provides UCLA teams and coaches with free shoes and apparel featuring the three-stripes logo. North Carolina has its sponsorship contract with Nike, which provides its teams with sneakers and apparel bearing the swoosh.

So even though Love never mentioned Adidas among his reasons for UCLA, it's got to feel like a bit of payback, albeit indirectly, that you won't catch one of the top new college players wearing Nikes.

Although Adidas clearly gets a boost from the exposure, the company does not give any kind of additional compensation or benefits to UCLA for signing hot recruits, said Marc Dellins, sports information director for UCLA. Adidas does build in such incentives for other achievements, such as winning the national title.

And on the same topic of sneaker companies and their competition for teenage talent, The Boston Globe has run a fascinating three-part series on the sneaker companies and their pursuit of young talent. (via TrueHoop, SportsLawBlog)Love's dismissal resonatesBy Rachel BachmanThe OregonianTuesday,July 19, 2005

For years, athletic-shoe companies have sponsored strong summer-league basketball teams, buttering up the nation's top high school players. When the best of them went pro, the sponsoring companies hoped their generosity would pay off with the players signing endorsement contracts.

But 10 days ago, Nike rattled that dynamic and set basketball circles buzzing. By dismissing a local 16-year-old from one of its sponsored teams, the Beaverton-based giant signaled that crossing a shoe company could limit a player's options in the increasingly cutthroat world of summer basketball.

That message could have profound implications for star and aspiring star players alike. High school games help, but a player's performance in a big summer tournament or camp can win or lose a college scholarship.

The word came down July 9, when a Nike executive called the father of Kevin Love, Oregon's Class 4A player of the year last season and one of the nation's top-rated players. The man told Stan Love that because his son had attended Reebok's ABCD Camp, he would not be welcome at Nike tournaments or back on the Nike-sponsored Portland Legends team, Stan Love said.

Nike spokesperson Rodney Knox declined to comment, saying only: "We certainly think highly of Kevin as a player and as a person. We certainly wish him the best."

Nike's action, first reported by The Oregonian, appears to be the first time a shoe company formally has penalized a high school player for disloyalty, a development observers call a distressing escalation of basketball's sneaker wars.

"I think it's a pretty unprecedented move," said Bob Gibbons, one of the nation's best-known basketball talent evaluators. "It disturbed me that they would be that vindictive."

Camps as score cards

The phenomenon of high school basketball camps as talent showcases started in 1984 with the ABCD Camp, a Nike-sponsored event that moved to Adidas, then Reebok. Now, all three companies hold invitation-only camps the same week in July -- their grandstands stuffed with the nation's top college coaches and NBA scouts.

In a summer basketball schedule jampacked with tournaments, the three camps are clear score cards of where shoe companies stand with top players.

Few people remember which summer-league or high school team an NBA athlete played for, said Reggie Guyton, director of the Reebok-sponsored Portland Panthers summer-league team. But Guyton easily recalled that NBA players Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and Sebastian Telfair attended ABCD Camp -- even though it used to be sponsored by Adidas.

"That kind of lets you know how the apparel companies attach an NBA player to their camps and not to their travel teams," Guyton said.

Why Kevin Love?

Usually a player will attend the camp of the shoe company that sponsors his high school or summer-league team. Love's high school team, Lake Oswego, also is sponsored by Nike.

But it is not unheard of for players to cross company lines.

Canaan Chatman, director of the Adidas-backed Inner City Players team in Portland, said two of his former players -- Chris Rodgers and Brandon Lincoln -- chose to attend Nike's camp four years ago because they had not been there before.

"My bosses were a little bit perturbed with the situation, with me sending them to Nike camp versus Adidas," Chatman said. "But the reality was I just communicated why these kids went there: This was something that they wanted to do."

Chris Rivers, Reebok's national grass-roots basketball manager, said he knew of a few players on Reebok-sponsored teams who went to Nike's camp.

"But I called those kids the day after, wished them well," Rivers said.

Seth Tarver, one of Love's summer teammates, also attended Reebok's camp this month but was not kicked off the Legends team. Tarver, who plays high school ball for Beaverton's Jesuit High, said he thought he kept his spot because he had accepted Reebok's invitation before he was invited to Nike's camp -- and because he recently left a Reebok-sponsored team to join the Legends.

Some people suggested Love was singled out because he lives in Lake Oswego, Nike's back yard. Others said his situation was being used as a warning to other top players not to stray from their sponsors.

"The message is that 'We demand loyalty to Nike,' " Gibbons said.

What's next?

Gibbons said Love's situation is not the first time Nike has twisted the arms of players or coaches it sponsors.

Gibbons' Memorial Day weekend tournament has drawn teams year after year, lured by the chance to play on the campuses of North Carolina State, North Carolina and Duke.

But a few years ago, coaches of Nike-sponsored summer teams told Gibbons they were warned by Nike officials to play in Nike's Memorial Day weekend tournament or risk losing their funding.

"They called me and said, 'Bob, we love your tournament and we want to come, but hey, Nike's giving us $30,000 and we can't afford to buck the system,' " Gibbons said.

Reebok's Rivers disagrees with that strategy.

A shoe company isn't a parent or guardian, he said, and therefore has no right to dictate which events a player must attend.

"Kevin Love does not work for Nike, nor does his family," Rivers said "He does not work for Reebok. He's a high school kid that plays on a team that happens to be sponsored by Nike."

Although Nike dominates in athletic shoe sales, its signature summer basketball camp no longer has a monopoly on prep talent. Love chose Reebok's camp because several of the nation's best players -- including top-rated center Greg Oden from Indianapolis -- were there, Love's father said.

Yet Nike apparently banished Love, possibly setting a precedent.

Chatman, director of Portland's Adidas team, wondered: If a shoe company can mandate which camp a player goes to, will it also pressure him to play for a college team it sponsors?